1923
Lyman
2025
Lyman Wood
August 13, 1923 — August 1, 2025
Lyman Ralph Wood was born in Champaign, Illinois on August 13, 1923. He passed into eternal life on August 1, 2025. Ralph’s family moved to Webster Groves, Missouri where his father taught physics and chemistry at St. Louis University and his mother was a homemaker. At age 10, Ralph welcomed a baby sister, Mary, to the family. He was involved in sports and music at Webster Groves High School.
Ralph attended Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri until WWII came calling. He enlisted in the Army Air Force February 23, 1943. Because of his college education and chemistry knowledge, he was chosen to not only produce oxygen for the American pilots, but also to train other young men to do so as well. He served throughout Africa and Italy, providing essential oxygen for our pilots which was needed for successful missions. He was honorably discharged January 4, 1946.
After the war, Ralph returned to Central Methodist College where he met and married his college sweetheart, Lucy Bates. After graduation, they settle in Kirkwood, Missouri where they started their family and Ralph began a 48-year career with the YMCA. This career choice was perfect for Ralph as he wished to serve Christ through the YMCA’s founding principles of meeting people’s needs through body, mind, and spirit. Beginning in St. Louis as a youth director, his successful career led him to Omaha, Nebraska as an executive; Elgin, Illinois as the president of the Elgin YMCA; and finally, to the National YMCA in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he spent his final years traveling across America to help struggling YMCAs become successful. He combined his career with service to his church wherever he lived, serving as a Sunday School teacher, Elder, and on church boards. He retired to Park Rapids, Minnesota on 5 th Crow Wing Lake. In retirement he became an avid fisherman, wood worker, exercise enthusiast, and golfer. He got a hole in one at age 90!
After the death of his wife, Ralph moved back to Illinois and became a part of the Clare Oaks (Hearthwood) family in July of 2008. He lived in Independent Living and was known as part of the “1 st floor party animals”. He was also known for his Mustang convertible and could be seen driving around Bartlett with the top down. While living in Independent Living, he successfully ran a campaign and was elected to the Bartlett Library Board for one term. He also served on the first Independent Living Residence Council and was instrumental in beginning the Employee Appreciation Fund as well as starting the Sunday night gatherings which are still happening. He had a wide variety of interests including playing poker on Tuesday and Thursday nights. He loved to watch Wheel of Fortune, read novels every day on his iPad, exercise, watch football, college basketball, and was a big Cubs fan.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, Joy and Ella Wood, his sister, Mary Beaver, and his wife, Lucy Wood. He is survived by daughter, Kate Dixson, who is part of the Oaks family living in a cottage, and daughter Linda Byrd (Jim) who lives in Elgin. He is also survived by his grandchildren Jason Byrd (Chelsey), Elgin; Melissa Floyd (Stephen), Grand Rapids, Michigan; Christopher Byrd (Rachel), Providence Village, Texas; Jennifer Dixson, Glen Cove, New York; Kimberly Dixson(Joe) Charlottesville, Virginia. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren Declan Byrd, Theodore Floyd, and Eloise Byrd.
Private Internment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on August 13 th at Hearthwood Senior Living (formerly the Oaks of Bartlett), 825 Carillon Drive, Bartlett. The service will be held in Sacred Heart Chapel, behind the main buildings of Hearthwood.
Ralph attended Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri until WWII came calling. He enlisted in the Army Air Force February 23, 1943. Because of his college education and chemistry knowledge, he was chosen to not only produce oxygen for the American pilots, but also to train other young men to do so as well. He served throughout Africa and Italy, providing essential oxygen for our pilots which was needed for successful missions. He was honorably discharged January 4, 1946.
After the war, Ralph returned to Central Methodist College where he met and married his college sweetheart, Lucy Bates. After graduation, they settle in Kirkwood, Missouri where they started their family and Ralph began a 48-year career with the YMCA. This career choice was perfect for Ralph as he wished to serve Christ through the YMCA’s founding principles of meeting people’s needs through body, mind, and spirit. Beginning in St. Louis as a youth director, his successful career led him to Omaha, Nebraska as an executive; Elgin, Illinois as the president of the Elgin YMCA; and finally, to the National YMCA in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he spent his final years traveling across America to help struggling YMCAs become successful. He combined his career with service to his church wherever he lived, serving as a Sunday School teacher, Elder, and on church boards. He retired to Park Rapids, Minnesota on 5 th Crow Wing Lake. In retirement he became an avid fisherman, wood worker, exercise enthusiast, and golfer. He got a hole in one at age 90!
After the death of his wife, Ralph moved back to Illinois and became a part of the Clare Oaks (Hearthwood) family in July of 2008. He lived in Independent Living and was known as part of the “1 st floor party animals”. He was also known for his Mustang convertible and could be seen driving around Bartlett with the top down. While living in Independent Living, he successfully ran a campaign and was elected to the Bartlett Library Board for one term. He also served on the first Independent Living Residence Council and was instrumental in beginning the Employee Appreciation Fund as well as starting the Sunday night gatherings which are still happening. He had a wide variety of interests including playing poker on Tuesday and Thursday nights. He loved to watch Wheel of Fortune, read novels every day on his iPad, exercise, watch football, college basketball, and was a big Cubs fan.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, Joy and Ella Wood, his sister, Mary Beaver, and his wife, Lucy Wood. He is survived by daughter, Kate Dixson, who is part of the Oaks family living in a cottage, and daughter Linda Byrd (Jim) who lives in Elgin. He is also survived by his grandchildren Jason Byrd (Chelsey), Elgin; Melissa Floyd (Stephen), Grand Rapids, Michigan; Christopher Byrd (Rachel), Providence Village, Texas; Jennifer Dixson, Glen Cove, New York; Kimberly Dixson(Joe) Charlottesville, Virginia. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren Declan Byrd, Theodore Floyd, and Eloise Byrd.
Private Internment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on August 13 th at Hearthwood Senior Living (formerly the Oaks of Bartlett), 825 Carillon Drive, Bartlett. The service will be held in Sacred Heart Chapel, behind the main buildings of Hearthwood.
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